Chapter 4 #2
Since that task was completed rather quickly, they were able to return to the stall in no time. It was getting late, and they were currently down to one stall out of their three, consolidating everything together. Most of what they had left was slow to move, less desirable or worth very little.
With her feet up on another crate, her arms folded, and her head tilted back like she was moments away from falling asleep with boredom, Rosetta nearly jumped out of her skin when her name was called.
“Rosetta?”
“Who wants to know?” she answered almost immediately, as if that was her go-to when her name was called in port, said with a hint of wary suspicion.
She eyed the crowd of people until her gaze finally fell onto the tall, thin man approaching their last stall. His hair was short and looked flaky. His nose was large, his lips so thin they could barely be seen. His eyes were a beady, pitch black.
Alister was once again leaning against the wall as he watched the man carefully. She’s known in these parts. Even just one person recognising her could be troublesome.
“Well, if it isn’t Alexander Olofam.”
She gave a pouting smile Alister had only ever seen when she was getting heated with him. It deepened as she walked over to the counter to lean across it, twirling a strand of her brown hair.
It was the kind of flirtatious smile he didn’t like her wearing for another man when he was standing right next to her. Even more so when she started brushing the fingertips of her other hand over the skin high on her chest to tickle herself.
“I haven’t seen you in these parts for quite some time.
” His eyes fell to her chest where she was playing, then lower, and they remained fixed there.
The way she stood showed most of her cleavage, to the point where her breasts were almost spilling out of her tunic.
“You cut my brother’s ear off the last time I saw you. ”
“Then he shouldn’t have hit his wife in front of me.”
His eyes shot back up, and he gave her a laugh. “That’s true. You taught him an effective lesson with that.”
“It’s my favourite thing,” she admitted coyly with a giggle. She reached forward to start playing with one of the buttons of his tunic, twisting it playfully. “How have you been?”
When some of the crewmen shuffled behind Rosetta, Alexander’s gaze shifted and roamed across them before freezing on Alister’s dark and menacing face. Alister was being patient because he wanted to know what the hell she was doing and why, but he wasn’t pleased.
“I’ve b-been well.” He gulped, tearing his gaze away from Alister to place it back on her. “You’ve got a new crew, I see.”
She waved her hand back towards the men behind her, including him. “Do you like them? They’re dumb, but they get the job done.”
Alister’s eye twitched in irritation. He was a moment away from losing it. He wasn’t part of anyone’s crew, and he wouldn’t allow her to pretend he was beneath her!
“They’re a lot scarier than the last.” The man’s shoulders caved inwards in nervousness. “Where’s Mr Smith? He’s a friendly fellow.”
Her smile never fell as she said, “He’s around, off selling some of my better wares.”
Why’d she lie? Alister couldn’t help but frown. Then again, talking about death could dampen any conversation. His confusion was lost the moment she started walking her fingers down the man’s chest.
“So, you going to buy my wares, or are you going to leave me unsatisfied, Alexander?”
The man gave a shudder of obvious want, and Alister thought he may have seen something small growing in his breeches.
“For you, Rosetta, anything.” He started digging into his pockets to pull out his coin purse. “You promised me you would come see me before you left last time.”
“Sorry about that.” She pouted, drawing her fingers back up the front of his tunic in a teasing manner.
She was making a sale, and as much as Alister didn’t like this, he wasn’t about to say no to coin. His greed hooked him like a curled fishing hook.
She bit her bottom lip, tugging on it lightly before she spoke. “I did try to find you, but your brother refused to tell me where you’d run off to. Might be because of the whole ear thing.”
“What are you buying?” Alister finally bit out, wanting this interaction over with as quickly as possible.
Rosetta turned her head over her shoulder to look at him. “All of it.”
Alister’s head reared back. “All of it?”
He looked over what they had left. There was much here, and not all of it was valuable or useful. He wouldn’t buy lace doilies. What use would a man like him have for lace doilies?
“Yes.” The man nodded when her fingertips started trailing back down, then dangerously lower. She started twisting the top button of his breeches. “Everything. Whatever you have left.”
“A hundred and seventy pounds.”
Rosetta stared up at the man while giving a subtle, yet suggestive, lick of her lips. She gently reached over for the man’s coin purse with her other hand and took it from him.
He didn’t even hesitate as he relinquished it.
“How much is in here, Alexander?”
“T-two hundred and four,” he panted out when her finger strolled over the buttons of his pants to touch the third one down, then the lowest one.
“Thank you. You won’t regret our little trade, will you?
” The man shook his head like he’d lost the ability to speak, his oil-covered cheeks turning pink.
“Make sure you stay near your home. I’m busy at the moment, but I’ll be in Tortaya for three days.
I promise to come. I’ll make up for not being able to see you last time. ”
Her smile grew as she stared to lean away, reaching up to pinch his cheek while giving him a wink.
“I’ll stay home,” he finally answered, his trance broken now that she’d removed her playful touch.
“Good boy.” Then she turned to everyone behind her, looking around at the wares before she clapped her hands. “Well, this all belongs to my sweet, dear Alexander now. We should leave so he and his servants can collect it.”
Before Alister could say or do anything, Rosetta walked away from the stall. She started heading back towards the dock without sparing him a glance.
His crew looked at him the same way he looked at them: with confusion. He broke away from the group so he could chase after her, but just as he was about to ask her what the fuck that was all about, she nearly punched him in the stomach with the coin purse.
“I hate that little prick of a man,” she sneered with a tight expression. “He’s a coward, but he always buys the shit no one else will when he sees me.”
He noticed her lips were not only pursed tightly, but also slightly twisted with disgust. The angry squint to her eyes further affirmed just how much she despised him.
She drew her gaze to the side to meet his frowning face.
“He’s got a thing for me, absolutely incessant about it. It makes it easier to steal his coin.” She turned her eyes forward once more. “And I’ve just made sure he stays home and out of my way while I’m here.”
Alister glanced over his shoulder to look back at the stall they were walking away from, realising she’d just finished the last of their work in the span of ten minutes. He’d been thinking it would take them the rest of the day, considering what they’d had left.
She even got more than it was worth. The man had just handed her his entire purse without care! So, it’s not just me she has this power over. The thought made him grumble with disdain.
“Naeem!” she yelled when she saw him on the boardwalk. “Help me, my hands are unclean!”
She threw them forward like they were on fire.
Naeem came running over with a look of humour. “Alexander again?”
She nodded, looking down at her trembling, shaking hands. “I-I think I have to remove them.”
“I’ll fetch the axe.” Naeem sighed, walking away to head towards the ship. He shook his head along the way.
Alister knew Naeem wasn’t actually going to, but he turned to Rosetta with his brow raised. “You’re a nasty piece of work, you know that, lass?”
It was said both with pride and a disgruntled inflection.
“Don’t be too upset that I play the same game with all men to get what I want.
” She stepped forward to fiddle with a button on his doublet near the centre of his chest. It seemed she was trying to distract him in the exact same way she just distracted Alexander.
“Just know you’re the first who’s ever gotten to play with me. ”
How Rosetta made her words suggestive and body awakening, he didn’t know. He even had to stifle a groan when she ran her palm over his pectoral muscle and grazed his nipple at the same time.
Then she turned away to head towards her ship.
“Now, let’s go split our hard-earned coin so we can pay our men and relax.”